Ten days ago, three young people from Enkhuizen, aged 14, 15 and 16, were arrested for an assault on Tulpenplein in Enkhuizen. The victim became a victim forced to fightafter which several people abused him. This was filmed and posted on social media. The three suspects are now free again.
Much the same thing happened to Jesse’s fourteen-year-old son a few weeks earlier, when he was walking out of the supermarket in the evening. Before the boy knew it, he became pulled to the ground.
“He was kicked and hit in the face. ‘Film it,’ was the initial shout,” Meijerink said last week. His son suffered from wrist and arm problems for a few days and is still quite shocked.
Lots of experience as a street coach
Meijerink is director of a security company in Enkhuizen and has a lot of experience as a street coach in Amsterdam North, as part of Stichting Aanpak & Overlast Amsterdam. If it were up to him, that project would also be applied in his hometown. “Something has to be done,” he says.
Because he experiences that youth nuisance in his area is increasing. The municipality confirms this picture: “We have seen an increase in the number of reports of youth nuisance in recent months. These are not specifically related to vandalism or assault. We see this picture not only in the municipality of Enkhuizen, but also in surrounding municipalities.”
Addressing young people about their behavior
The initiative was started because of the nuisance caused by young people. The street coaches are present on the street, keep an eye on the ‘hotspots’ and have contact with youth and other residents. “That contact can be friendly, but people can also be addressed about their behavior.”
